Twin Flash Connections

We've run very low on silly questions, which means I've been lax in my duty. So, here goes:

Can I safely use the hot shoe on my Sp II or SPF and the X connection at the same time to fire two electronic flashes set to Manual? I have an 8 foot PC connector I could plug into the camera body for a small flash set twice the distance from the main flash in the hot shoe. I hope this would provide some fill-in.

Before I go and try this, I thought I'd get your opinion on the possibility of frying something in the camera with the combined voltage?

Thank's for you indulgence

Cheers

Mac,
I don't see it as a problem for the camera at all. Essentially all the PC socket does is to short the two pins together to fire the flash.

Most likey the SpII and SPF have no electronics at all - just a mechanical means to short the pins.

The only tiny little thing is if you have one of the ancient flash guns that have a high trigger voltage - that might pop the other connected guns. But, as far as I know it's only one of the really old Metz guns that did this. Most thyristor controlled flash guns have a very low trigger voltage.

I have seen little 4-way PC socket connectors to allow multiple connections, so it must be a "done thing".

...be interested to hear other views too

Matt

My cameras of this vintage have done this before, and lived to tell the tale.

Thank's gents,

Off we go!

Well, my limited tests have yielded strange results.

I have put a little Soligor full powered flash into the hot shoe - works fine on its own. When I hook either my Vivitar 2500 or Sears 987 Thyristor flashes into the PC socket they flash with the camera shutter, but the hot shoe flash doesn't. When the hotshoe flash is fired manually, it won't complete a recharge if there is a flash in the PC socket, and often gives a weak flash on its own while attempting to recycle.

It's almost as if the two contacts are physically aware of each other and some impedance or resistance is thrown off. I don't think anything is happening inside the Spotmatics (tried both SPII and SPF) as all they do is short the positive and negative wires to the flash.

It's like my early Hi Fi days where speaker impedance when crazy depending upon series or parrallel daisy chaining.

Ah well, it was worth a shot - and maybe this is why it isn't shown as a possibility in any of the camera manuals.

I'll look for slave buttons or whatever they're called - less wire anyway.

Cheers All!

Mac,

something like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flash-gun-Slave-unit-for-any-flashgun-NEW_W0QQitemZ7572841552QQcategoryZ15221QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem would probably do the trick.

I've got a similar device, a little cell with a rubber sucker on the bottom and a short synch lead to connect to either a socket on the second gun or a hot-shoe adapter and I must say it works very well - and it's cheap!

Kimbo!

Just the ticket!

Off to eBay (where else any more?)

Thank's so much, and Happy Holidays!